A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end and an inner diameter (ID) surface and an outer diameter (OD) surface. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation with a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidified so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. At least a portion of the seed contacted with the molten material has a solidus higher than a solidus of at least an initial pour portion of the molten material.

Methods and devices for detecting incident radiation are provided. The methods and devices use high quality single-crystals of photoactive semiconductor compounds in combination with metal anodes and metal cathodes that provide for enhanced photodetector performance.

A scintillator, a preparation method therefor, and an application thereof are disclosed wherein the scintillator has a chemical formula of Tl.sub.aA.sub.bB.sub.c:yCe, wherein: A is at least one rare earth element selected from trivalent rare earth elements; B is at least one halogen element selected from halogen elements; a=1, b=2 and c=7, a=2, b=1 and c=5, or a=3, b=1 and c=6; and y is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.5. According to another embodiment, the scintillator has a chemical formula of Tl.sub.aA.sub.bB.sub.c:yEu, wherein: A is an alkaline earth metal element; B is a halogen element; a=1, b=2 and c=5, or a=1, b=1 and c=3; and y is greater than or equal to 0 mol % and less than or equal to 50 mol %.

A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end. The forming includes bending a seed precursor. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidifies so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. The forming further includes inserting the bent seed precursor into a sleeve leaving the bent seed precursor protruding from a first end of the sleeve.

A casting method includes forming a seed. The seed has a first end and a second end and an inner diameter (ID) surface and an outer diameter (OD) surface. The seed second end is placed in contact or spaced facing relation with a chill plate. The first end is contacted with molten material. The molten material is cooled and solidified so that a crystalline structure of the seed propagates into the solidifying material. At least a portion of the seed contacted with the molten material has a solidus higher than a solidus of at least an initial pour portion of the molten material.

A production apparatus for a metal oxide single crystal according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a furnace having an interior heated to a temperature of 1,500° C. or more in an oxidative atmosphere, a heater heating the interior of the furnace, an inlet pipe being disposed in a lower part of the furnace and connecting an interior and an exterior of the furnace, an exhaust pipe being disposed in an upper part of the furnace and connecting an interior and an exterior of the furnace, a duct being disposed above the furnace, and an exhaust fan and a harmful substance elimination device being disposed in the middle of the duct.

There is provided a production apparatus for a gallium oxide crystal using the vertical Bridgman method and a production method using the production apparatus. A production apparatus for a gallium oxide crystal using a vertical Bridgman method including: a furnace body formed of a heat resistant material; a crucible shaft freely movable vertically, being extended in the furnace body, and penetrating through a bottom portion of the furnace body in the vertical direction; a crucible for housing a material of a gallium oxide crystal, being disposed on the crucible shaft; a body heater for heating the crucible, being disposed around a periphery of the crucible; and an annealing chamber for annealing the crucible, being disposed under the furnace body, and being connected to a furnace space in the furnace body.

Methods and wafers for vertical gradient freeze 8 inch gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates. In disclosed examples, vertical gradient freeze systems for forming gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates having silicon as a dopant, the system includes a crucible to contain a GaAs liquid melt and seed material during a formation process; one or more heating coils arranged in a plurality of heating zones; and a pedestal to move relative to the crucible, the system operable to control heating of the plurality of heating zones and movement of the pedestal to form a single crystal GaAs substrate.

A device (1′, 1″, 1′″) for manufacturing III-V-crystals and wafers (14) manufactured therefrom, which are free of residual stress and dislocations, from melt (16) of a raw material optionally supplemented by lattice hardening dopants comprises a crucible (2′, 2″, 2′″) for receiving the melt (16) having a first section (4′, 4″) including a first cross-sectional area and a second section (6′) for receiving a seed crystal (12) and having a second cross-sectional area, wherein the second cross-sectional area is smaller than the first cross-sectional area and the first and second sections are connected with each other directly or via third section (8, 8′) which tapers from the first section towards the second section, in order to allow a crystallization starting from the seed crystal (12) within the directed temperature field (T) into the solidifying melt. The first section (4′, 4″) of the crucible (2′, 2″, 2′″) has a central axis (M), and the second section (6′) is arranged being offset (v) with regard to the central axis (M) of the first section (4′, 4″).

A single-crystal turbine blade and a method of making such single-crystal turbine blade are disclosed. During manufacturing, a secondary crystallographic orientation of the material of the single-crystal turbine blade is controlled based on a parameter of a root fillet between an airfoil of the single-crystal turbine blade and a platform of the single-crystal turbine blade. The parameter can be a location of peak stress in the root fillet expected during use of the turbine blade.